Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Mississippi for his comments. As I mentioned, I rise to speak about S.J. Res. 20. I think there has been some misinformation about what we are doing this afternoon. I know the Acting President pro tempore and I were in a Foreign Relations Committee meeting last week and offered several amendments that were not passed. But many people have said what we are going to be debating, possibly this evening--I hope we do not--is something the President has asked for. The Acting President pro tempore, I know, knows differently. The President did not ask for what it is we are going to be debating this evening. The President earlier asked for a resolution of support but not an authorization for this third war we are undertaking right now in Libya. That is not what the President asked for. As a matter of fact, the President, in a very cutely worded letter to Congress, tried to state that we were not involved in hostilities in Libya, and he did so in order to circumvent a law that has been on the books now for many years called the War Powers Act. So the President is not seeking what the Senate is getting ready to debate on the floor at all. As a matter of fact, the President is trying to circumvent the War Powers Act. So there is no question, in my opinion, the President should be made to seek authorization. But then that brings us to the issue at hand.…”